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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: Cathy B on March 30, 2004, 09:54:34 AM

Title: ID = Richardsons salt with peacock feather trails
Post by: Cathy B on March 30, 2004, 09:54:34 AM
I recently bought what I think is a small Stuart Cairngorm small bowl, probably a salt? The bowl itself is a peach colour rather than clear, but has the applied green Cairngorm decoration. Incidentally, it is identical to one owned by my aunt left to her by an old lady who died forty years ago. It is 5 3/8" across and stands 2 3/4" high.

Firstly, did Stuart ever do the Cairngorm pattern on a peachy-orange body colour?

Secondly, a really stupid question, and an admission of some particularly stupid behaviour. I was gingerly transporting it to a safe place, but for some reason I had my keys in my hands at the same time. My three year old dashed around the corner, and in nervous reaction I snatched it up high, and my keys clattered on its side. Upon inspecting it, I discovered a small chip and a slight hairline on the applied frill decoration around its waist - and I hadn't checked it properly beforehand. I am not sure whether the chip was my fault with the keys or whether the vendor had missed it! Is it likely that banging with a set of keys (not greatly heavy) could have caused the damage (I suspect it is possible).

How much would the small (2mm) chip and tiny hairline in the frill detract from the value of the piece? Is there anything that I can do to stabilise the crack so that it doesn't spread, or is it possible to have the piece repaired?

Cathy.
Title: Photograph of the object in question
Post by: Cathy B on April 11, 2004, 02:20:58 AM
Hi,

http://tinyurl.com/ysf8l

As mentioned, my guess is that this is a Stuart and Sons "Cairngorm" piece, probably a salt, 5 3/8" across, 2 3/4" high (ref: http://www.great-glass.co.uk).

Does anyone agree?

Since I can't say whether or not the small chip was there before I received it or not, I guess I have no come back. I don't believe the keys could have done the damage to the piece (certainly I have been over the floor with a fine toothed comb and can't find the missing piece), but then it is impossible to say for sure and would be unfair to the vendor to do anything about it. Next time, I will inspect the piece the second I unpack it. And not unpack it until any unruly children are in bed!

One should have either glass, or toddlers. Never both.

At least the piece is in better condition than my aunt's one. My poor old grandmother's rhuemy fingers have dropped, bumped and chipped it many times. Arthritic grandparents are even worse than toddlers!

Cathy.
Title: Archive candidate
Post by: Frank on May 05, 2006, 09:33:26 AM
Cathy, can you repost picture/s on GlassGallery http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk please.
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: Cathy B on May 19, 2006, 08:00:35 AM
Hi Frank

Here's that picture again: http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-2017

Does anyone have any ideas who might have made this? The cairngorm pattern is similar but not in these colours.

Cathy
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: paradisetrader on May 19, 2006, 09:12:34 AM
Cathy
Yes colors different but the rim and tadpole style is similar to Terry's here:
Stuart or Harrach ?
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,1901.0.html
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: heartofglass on May 19, 2006, 11:49:59 AM
Hi Cathy,
from pieces illustrated in the books I have on Victorian glass, for all intents & purposes, your piece looks like Stuart.
I agree, the pink/peach colour is highly unusual,the documented Stuart ones tend to be clear with green decoration. But it could be an experimental piece or rare variation.
Whatever it is, it's lovely!
Don't worry too much about the crack, it's an old item, & we all end up showing our age somehow..... :roll:
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: Cathy B on May 19, 2006, 12:36:26 PM
Hello Marinka! Thanks for your reply.

I've followed Frank's link back and note Bernard's comments which were that many of the Stourbridge companies were using the same styles of trailing, and that such decoration is known to have been made by both Walsh and Stuart, so it's reasonable to assume that it was fairly a common technique. (Have I read Bernard's explanation correctly?)

Thanks again,
Cathy
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: Cathy B on May 19, 2006, 12:41:05 PM
Good grief, I've just seen it attributed to S&W. It looks like mine, and my aunts are missing stands.

http://www.antiquecolouredglass.info/Stevens%20&%20Williams%20Antique%20Glass.htm

Can anyone confirm this attribution?

Thanks

Cathy
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: heartofglass on May 19, 2006, 01:01:02 PM
Well spotted,Cathy! :)
It certainly looks just like yours.
The S & W attribution could explain the colour- it just didn't look like a Stuart colour for this type of item....
Sorry I can't confirm totally, but it seems likely you've found it...
Title: Archive candidate
Post by: Frank on May 19, 2006, 04:52:10 PM
Andrew Lineham is a good source and a second generation glass dealer. Interesting that he uses the term Tear Drop decoration.
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: Cathy B on May 20, 2006, 01:53:27 AM
And actually, silly for me not to having spotted it last night, but at 5.5" dia my piece is much larger (and with four trails, not three), so perhaps it was never intended to come with the stand. Is it still a salt, and if not, what is it?

Frank, I'm not surprised that Andrew Lineham would have a good pedigree, looking through that site. He's posted some original Frederick Carder drawings.

Thanks everyone!

Cathy
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: Glen on May 20, 2006, 08:02:11 AM
I have always held that the applied shapes were stylised peacock feathers (not teardrops or tadpoles).

Glen
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: heartofglass on May 20, 2006, 02:41:26 PM
Hi Cathy,
the size of the item suggests it could be a preserve dish (to hold jam & the like for use at the table-not as storage)- these dishes often had/have silver plate holders, typically with a handle, to create a basket-like effect.
As for the drops, I've usually heard them described as 'peacock eye' decoration. The 'eye' as in the eye-like pattern in the peacock feathers. Very popular late-Victorian/proto-Art Nouveau design.
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: Cathy B on May 20, 2006, 03:06:26 PM
Thanks Marinka and Glen!

Cathy
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: Glen on May 20, 2006, 03:25:24 PM
Hi Cathy - a bit of background info....

In the "Journal of the Glass Association" Vol 5, 1997 there is an ad from "Harrods" Glass Dept., dated 1909 that shows vases with this kind of applied decoration. It is written as "The Original English Peacock Decoration".

Glen
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: Glen on May 20, 2006, 04:53:11 PM
I forgot to add a link to some photos. Bur first I should explain what they are!

Harry Northwood made a vase known to collectors as the Tornado vase. The name was given to it by US collectors based in Kansas (Tornado Alley) in the 1960s - though another group gave it the name Tadpole vase. In fact the vase is a pressed glass version of applied peacock feather motifs.

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/thumbnails.php?album=30

(I have in fact just posted these photos for another thread on threading  :roll: )

Peacock feathers, tadoples. teardrops, tornadoes.

You say tomayto and I say tomahtoh  :lol:

Glen
Title: Stevens & Williams bowl - Peacock Feathers
Post by: David Hier on June 04, 2006, 09:56:50 AM
Quote from: heartofglass
Hi Cathy, from pieces illustrated in the books I have on Victorian glass, for all intents & purposes, your piece looks like Stuart.

The piece in question actually looks more like an example by Richardson's. See details at the following thread http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,1901.0.html (http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,1901.0.html)

Images can be found here (with different colouring & threading):

http://www.glassfairs.co.uk/peacock2.htm (http://www.glassfairs.co.uk/peacock2.htm)
Title: Re: ID = Richardsons salt with peacock feather trails
Post by: flying free on June 04, 2012, 07:08:58 PM
The links in the post above mine have disappeared.  The link to the salt on Andrew Lineham's site is still there although you need to go to the site and click on 'salts' to see the three-pull, three-peacock eye version.  This salt is now id's as Stuart on that site, not Stevens and Williams as was originally referred to.

I have just bought two bowls that I believe are the same or very similar, size and design to the one on this thread.  They are threaded however  but also have the rigaree trail and have a four pull-up crimped rim with four-peacock eye prunts and trails.  I believe they are the same as a bowl id'd in Gullivers Victorian Decorative Glass as Richardson c. 1907 page 204. 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300716235911%3FssPageName%3DSTRK:MEWNX:IT%26_trksid%3Dp3984.m1439.l2649&usg=AFQjCNGgmc-2HR-r9sxAJczu3yOf4BUv0w
 I'll post pics when they arrive to compare to the pic at the start of this thread.

The preserve dish at the start of this thread does look to be the same shape and with the same peacock eye's and rigaree as the bowls I've bought, but instead of the threading it is on a peach body.  Do we know it is definitely Richardson?

If mine are Richardson it will be interesting for me to compare the peacock eye's to my other pieces and known Stuart.
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